Grading tag for poultry and food products generally



Dec. 18, 1934. J. o. KER ET AL GRADING TAG FOR POULTRY AND FOOD PRODUCTS GENERALLY Filed July 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18, 1934. J, o KER ET AL GRADING TAG FOR POULTRY AND FOOD PRODUCTS GENERALLY Filed July 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 i i UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE GRADING TAG FOR POULTRY AND FOOD PRODUCTS GENERALLY John Ormond Ker and Ward Ashton, Ottawa, I(zntario, Canada; said Ashton assignor to said Application July 2, 1931, Serial No. 548,356

11" Claims. (01. 40-3) The invention relates to grading and identifitached; is the disc or shield carrying the identication tags generally and more particularly to fying indicia. grade indicating tags for poultry, birds, food The novel features of the marker consist of a products, merchandise and the like. flexible metallic strip intermediately formed One of the objects of the invention is to prowith gripping tongues operable to open or grip- 5 vide a light, durable and attractive tamper-' ping position by manually bending the strip, in proof marker for indicating the different grades combination with an indicia carrying disc of of poultry, birds, food products, merchandise and flexible material, whereby the marker is northe like, adapted for quick and secure attachmally curved to open the gripping tongues for ment on being brought into contact with the obcontact with the object to be graded or marked 10 ject to be marked and then pressed. and then pressed to cause the tongues to grip Another object is to provide a marker or grade the object while permitting the strip as a whole indicator of this description than can be manuto straighten out and conform to the contour factured and placed on the marketat very low thereof with only the-disc exposed to view.

cost, that can be readily handled with two The invention will be best understood by ref- 1 fingers and which, when brought' into contact erenceto the following description when taken with, for example the breast of a bird, will enin connection with the accompanying illustragage with the skin and on being pressed will be tions of a specific embodiment thereof while the fixedly secured thereto by automatically grip scope'of the invention will be more particularly ping the skin. The marker being so constructed pointed out in the claims.

that it cannot beremoved or tampered with Fig. 1 is a front view of the grade marker or without breaking, and, therefore not available tag as applied to a dressed bird.

for use a secondtime. V Fig. 2 is a plan view of the back of the A further-object is'to provide a marker of atmarker showing fastening of label or disc.

tractive appearance in which the indicia carry- Fig. 3 is a detail plan viewof the back of the 25 ing portion only is visible when the marker is in marker with the indicia carrying means reposition. moved and showing the means for attaching the Yet another object is to provide a flexible mark and means for retaining the indicia marker with flexible indicia carrying means ascarrying means thereon.

sociated therewith, whereby the marker as a Fig. 4 is a sectional. detail of the tag showing 30 whole is first slightly curved ready for engagethe first operation of attaching same. ment with the object to be graded or marked Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the comand on being pressed to .securely grip suchobplete operation of attaching the grader. ject while conforming to the contour thereof, Fig. 6, enlarged "section similar to 4, with the indicia carrying means being alone visible. label left off. I

We are aware that many attempts have been Fig. 7, enlarged section similar to 5, with made to provide markers or grade indicating label omitted.

means that could be attached to the leg, wing Fig. 8 is a front view of the modified form.

or neck of a bird or in the form of a clamp to I Fig. 9 is a side view of a further modified the body of a bird and so on, but these have form.

been found from practical experience, quite un- Fig. 10 is a side view' of yet another modified satisfactory not only in respect of the cost, but form. i

also in that they did not work efllciently, being Fig: 11 is a side view of a further modified liable to become displaced and practically inform. 1

visible, moreover itwas possible todetach and Fig. 12 is a plan view of the modified form 45 use them again, thereby tending todeceive the shown in Fig. 11. v p I Fig. 13 is a plan view of another modified Our marker differs from others heretofore in form. v I use in that it is essentially adapted in grading Fig. 14 is a side view of the modified form poultry and the like to be placed on thebreast shown in Fig. 13. 50

of the bird where it will be readily visible. Fur- Referring now more particularly to the drawthermore, in attaching it the flesh of-the bird is ings in which like numerals of reference indinot necessarily"penetrated or injured in any catecorresponding parts in each figure, A way, the loose skin being simplygripped while denotes a strip of fiexible'material preferably 7 the only visible portion of the marker when-ataluminium, which may be of any suitable length 55 and is preferably tapered to any suitable extent at each end as at 10.

The dimensions of the strip in the example here shown coincide with an indicia carrying disc 18, hereinafter more fully referred to, so that when the marker is attached the disc will completely hide the strip leaving the disc only, with indicia thereon, visible. In other words, the means for attaching the disc is not seen and the disc shows up like a button on the breast of the graded bird.

Substantially midway of the strip. are stamped out tongues 11 and 12, provided with extremi ties or tips 13 and 14, serrated as at 15, adopted when the strip A is curved to open, ready for engagement with the object to be marked on contact therewith, then on being pressed or straightened out preferably with the thumb and second finger of the operator, the tongues or, as

they may also be called, gripping members 12 and 13 will automatically grip the loose flesh of the bird fixedly securing the marker thereon. The strip A may be further bent to conform to the contour of the object to which it is secured without loosening the grip of; the tongue 12.

Co-operating with the portions 12 and 13, and secured to the strip by a band 16, or other suitable means on the back thereof passing between the tongues and the body of the strip is the disc 18 or label, of flexible material on which is marked, in the present example, the grade of a bird. To more effectively secure the discon the strip, lugs 21, are provided, which can be readily bent over or clinched as shown in Fig. 1, to engage with the disc.

It will be noted that when the marker is attached by the exertion of slight pressure the disc will, as shown in Fig. 1, completely hide the strip and will itself alone be visible producing a, more attractive and practical effect.

To ensure that the marker will notbe, taken on" to be used again, we may provide weakened portions as at 20,, in the sides of the body A, parallel with the tongues while to ensure strength without adding to the weight, these sides are reinforced by ribs 22,- and the tongues themselves by ribs 23.

In operation, which will be apparent from the foregoing, the marker is grasped with the thumb and second'finger of the right hand and slightlybent to a. curve as indicated-inFig. 4, sepa,-.

rating the serrated extremities 13 and 14,,ofthe gripping members 11 and 12, so that; when brought in contact with the breast of a bird the skin 22 is engaged and on further pressure being exerted to straightenout the curved strip, as shown in Fig. 5, the skin of the bird is automatically gripped to securely retain the marker in position. Simultaneously with the foregoing, the flexible indicia carrying means in the form of a disc or label 18, bendas shown in fig. 4,

to co-operate with the metal portion of the,

marker and straighten out as shown in Fig.5,

to completely cover the metal portion or strip asthe mark for fraudulent or other. useagain, aplurality of weakened portions 20,. associated witnthe gripping tongues are provided; and en.

sure that on any attempt being made to bend back the strip to the position illustrated in Fig. 4, it would break at one or more of the weakened parts.

It will be easily understood that the simple, light and durable construction involved ensure much, quicker operation in grading poultry, birds and the like in largenumbers than couldpossibly be attained by anything of this kind heretofore inuse, while the feature of automatically becoming attached by gripping the object to be graded ormarked, on being placed with a little pressure thereon, is a step ahead in theory and practice involving practically no labour as compared with devices of this character heretofore in use in which it was necessary to clamp on or twist them around some portion of a bird and which even then were by-no means practical, effective or attractive.

In Figures 8 to 14 inclusive, are illustrated modified forms of the marker in which the disc 18., is secured to or forms, part of one end of the flexible metallic strip while means for attaching the strip are associated therewith, such as a rivet 30, in Figures 8 and 10,, a bendable end portion 31, with a pointed extremity 32, to en gage with an opening 33, as shown in Figure 9, a bendable end 341, and arcut out tongue 35, co-operating therewith as shown in Figures 11 and 12,, and provided with a piercing prong 36, for engagement with an opening 37, while in Figures 13; and, 14, the indicia is carried on'the strip. and a piercing member 38, is also provided;

Various forms of the apparatus described will suggest themselves to those skilled. in the art; it; is, therefore, not intended that the present applicationshould be limited to any particular form of construction; modifications may be made in. the apparatus, above described within the scope of the claims, withou-t departing from the spirit onscope thereof and including the use of an adhesiveon theindicia carrying means when the latter takes the form ofalabel;

What weclaim for, our invention is:

1. A; grade indicating tag for poultry, birds, food: products, merchandise and'the like, comprising a flexible metallic strip intermediately' formedlwith 'grippingmembers operable to open and gripping position by-bending the strip and flexible. indicia carry-ingmeans associated with the, strip.

2'. A tag for poultry, birds, animals, fOOdl products. and the like, comprisinga flexible metallic strip formed Withgripping tongues op-. erable to open. or gripping position by bending the strip, flexible indiciacarrying means associated withthest-rip.

31.; Grade indicating-means for dressed poultry, birdsland food products generally, comprising a fiexiblelmetallic strip stamped to form tongues with gripping tips oruextremities operable to automatically open to engaging. position and to close-to grippingposition by bending the strip and tion, a disc or label of flexible material for indicia, carried by the strip and bendable therewith to completely conceal the strip in attached position, and means associated with the strip for securely retaining the indicia carrying disc or label thereon.

6. An indicating tag comprising a flexible metallic strip intermediately formed with gripping members, an indicia carrying disc or label carried by the strip and retaining means associated with the label and co-operating with the gripping members to retain the disc or label on the whereby on the strip being bent the tongues are opened to contact with the object to be marked and on the strip being straightened out the tongues grip the object to securely retain the disc protruding thereon while hiding the strip.

8. In an indicating tag the combination with flexible indicia carrying means, of a metallic strip formed with co-operating gripping tongues designed on the strip being bent to open and on the strip being straightened out and further bent to automatically and securely attach the tag to the object to be marked while exposing only the indicia thereon.

9. The combination with an indicia carrying disc, label, button or the like of suitable material, of a flexible metallic strip intermediately formed with gripping tongues operable to engaging and gripping position by bending the strip, and weakened portions in the strip co-operating with the tongues to cause the stripto break on being detached.

10. In a marking tag a metallic strip with indicia carrying means, and means formed in the strip automatically operable by bending the strip for engaging with and securely attaching the tag to an object to be marked and exposing only the indicia carrying means.

11. A tamper-proof marking tag comprising a flexible metallic strip, indicia carrying means for the strip and attaching means formed in the strip and automatically operable to open or attaching position on bending the strip, and weakened portions in the strip co-ordinating with the attaching means.

JOHN ORMOND KER. WARD ASHTON. 

